Research Handbook on Animals and Society

This multidisciplinary book provides an overview of past, current and emerging research in human–animal studies. International experts explore this dynamic and expanding field in ways that challenge established thought about the interactions between nonhuman animals and human societies. Chapters discuss the ‘animal turn’, in which disciplines that have traditionally ignored, or not seriously considered nonhuman animals, have begun to consider the ‘animal question’. The contributing authors examine how societies have thought about animals and our connection to them over time. They address the different ways in which nonhuman animals have interacted with human society, including as food, in products, as pets, as workers, as entertainers and as targets of wildlife management concern. The Research Handbook on Animals and Society emphasises that the consideration, treatment and welfare of animals is a crucial and fast-developing social justice issue. This is an essential resource for students and academics across the social sciences interested in human–animal studies and social justice. It is also a beneficial guide to research on animals and society for activists and practitioners involved in animal rights.